United States

1
United States

• Physical Geography and Climate

2
Land Mass

• Land size
• Canada is bigger than the U.S.
• People
• U.S. has 10 times more people than Canada
• 312 million

3
Special Features of U.S.

• Rocky Mountains
• Largest mountain system in North America

4

• Appalachian Mountains
• 2nd largest mountain range
• Known as the Laurentian Highlands in Canada

5

• Death Valley
• Hottest place in North America

6
Water

• The Great Lakes
• Huron
• Ontario
• Michigan
• Erie
• Superior
• Lake Michigan is the only one that lies within
  the U.S.

7
Water - Rivers

• Mississippi River
• MN to Gulf of Mexico
• Missouri River
• Ohio River
• Tributary
• A stream or river that flows into a larger river

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Tributaries of the Mississipi
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Flowing Rivers

• Continental Divide
• The boundary that separates rivers flowng toward
  opposite side of the Continent.
• Rocky Mountains

10
United States Climate

• Mountains - cause precipitation on one side of
  mountains
• Rain Shadow
• An area on the dry, sheltered side of a mountain
  that receives little rainfall

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United States Climate

• Greater Variety of Climates than Canada
• Much of the climate varies by latitude
• Tropics Florida - West coast marine-Mountains -
  Rain Shadow (deserts)- Continental Climates
  (plains and East coast)

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Vegetation

• Tundra
• Cold, dry region covered with snow more than half
  of the year

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• Prairies (plains)
• Rolling grassland (Where you live ? )

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• Desert Scrub
• Short grasses (grazing)

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• Forests
• Cover 1/3 of U.S.- Cover 1/2 of Canada

16
Natural Resources of the United States

• Soil
• Dark soil - Midwest and South
• Alluvial soil
• Along the Mississippi and other river valleys
• deposited by water and floods
• Water
• Drinking, irrigation, manufacturing, shipping.
• Hydroelectricity - power generated by moving water

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Natural Resources of the United States

• Energy
• Coal, oil, natural gas
• Minerals
• Copper, gold, granite, iron ore, lead
• Trees
• Pacific NW, South, Great Lakes